Hello there!

I just had lunch with a friend that I hadn't seen in about 3-4 years. We were meeting for lunch and before she ordered she came right out and said "I may not eat a lot because I had the Lap-Band procedure done." I was shocked, she didn't seem like the sort of person do to such a thing. She had NOTHING but great things to say about it. She said the only negative is if you eat too much you will throw up. I figured, then it can't be that bad and why in the world do people choose to cut their stomachs instead of having a lap-band put in????

Since our lunch I have not stopped thinking about having this done. I want to make an appt. with my Dr. but am so afraid she will talk me out of it. I have already written out a list of MANY different health related issues and just can't see how anyone would tell me "No".

What kind of questions should I ask at my first doctor's appt.? I don't have an appt. yet but I want to be prepared.

I am unmarried, no children..how will this effect me having a child in the future? How do I find a good Dr? I live in Northern CA and have Kaiser...will they pay for it? What will the process be? I have so many questions and Im hoping a few of you out there will help me and guide me.

Thanks again!

Hi MissLynn! I am not yet banded and I am far from an expert but I will share with you what I know:rolleyes2:. Know your BMI, call your insurance, if they cover lap band they will probably have a BMI requirement. You can find a BMI calculator on line. Be firm with your Dr. Weight loss helps over weight women have babies. Pregnancy is fine with lap band, it is a good idea to wait 12-24 months after surgery to get pregnant. Because it is not ideal to lose weight during pregnancy. It seems like a lot of people start the process with a referral from their primary Dr. I got started by calling the Bariatric Clinic that I know my insurance co. covers. I'm telling my primary Dr. tomorrow at my annual check up and I'm going to a WLS informational session at the Bariatric Clinic on Wed. Feel free to ask me anything, if I know the answer I'll share. Good luck to you!

Thank you Smartiegirl! Your information is helpful..I will add it to my notes:smile:

Good Luck you two! I am just starting out but thrilled I made this a priority!

Hi MissLynn23,

I live in CA and have Kaiser as well. I have not had surgery yet, but will be soon. I have a great primary care physician that I talked to about my weight problem and my other weight related issues (high blood pressure, back problem, etc). She gave me a referral to the Kaiser Bariatrics and they approved me for a lap band. It's quite a lengthy process from orientation to the actual surgery date (about 10 months), but it was fully covered. Your doctor should not "talk you out of it" if it will make you a healthier person. You will have to meet their requirements though. Good Luck to you!

Oh and by the way, you can get pregnant with the lap band. I already have kids, but with all the information that I have obtained, pregnancy is not a problem with the band.

Thank you...you give me hope!

I can relate to your situation MissLynn!!! Two weeks ago I went out with two co-workers where I found out one of them has gastric bypass, I was floored but supportive of her choice and very interested in pursuing any options for WLS in my province. Over the last two weeks I have thoroughly researched my options and weighing the risks and plan to get the band within the next couple of months.

My Dr. is an hour bus ride from my home and since I've had her practically for LIFE, I hesitated to change Dr's but now I plan to find a local Dr. This way I can have easier access to follow up care and help. I did not require any referral and have a consultation with a surgeon this Thursday. I have checked my insurance options and due to the 5 year wait for bypass or banding, I am self paying. If you want an excellent overview of the procedure and what's involved, please check out the site below (also the place I will be getting my surgery), and there's also a calculator to figure out your BMI. Best of luck to you!

Toronto Weight Loss Obesity Surgery Lap Band Bariatric Gastric Bypass Surgeon

Thank you...I will check out that site.

I made an appt. with my Dr. this morning...my appt. is on the 10th!! I will have all my questions written down and my list of "ammunition" (reasons why I wan this procedure done).

you will probably have to go to an informtional seminar first. I'm sure it will be easy to find one. Lapband.com probably can help. If you are on medication for hypertension, high cholesterol or diabetes, that is a help with the insurance company. I didn't "quite" have a high enough BMI, but I am on medication.

Especially, read all that you can in these forums. They are SO helpful. So personal, so honest and we are all real people who have been in your shoes... I wish you all the best.

MissLynn23 - Howdy neighbor! I'm from Penryn. I thought I would chime in here because I too went through the Kaiser program. Barbiek is right, it's a slow process but they pay for it all depending on your policy. From what I hear they are doing some of the things up here now like pre-op requirements. I don't know about that because last year we had to do it all in SSF. That's probably the facility you'll be going through.

When I went into my PCP I had my records from non-Kaiser doctors, chiropractors, etc. expecting a fight. My old PCP at Kaiser said I had to be "a lot bigger" to have surgery. So I went in armed to the teeth. Guess what, my new PCP referred me right away. I had no problems after that. You will go through a battery of blood tests and if they find anything they will make sure it's ok. One person told me I would have the best physical I had ever had. Since I hadn't had a really good physical I guess that was a gimme. LOL

I had a high ferritin level and ended up having a liver scan that showed I had "fatty liver". Now, when you have a BMI of 49+ isn't that kind of a "ya think" moment. Fortunately, I started my journey on time and with time my liver will heal. I didn't know that you could completely distroy your liver with fat just as if you had drank all your life. Wow, I learned a lot there.

Kaiser will send you to an orientation first. Following that they will put you on a 1200 calorie diet and want you to loose +/- 10% of your body weight (no your extra weight - the whole thing). They do this to make sure your liver is smaller for a safer surgery and to make sure you will follow the plan following surgery. You will then see the director of bariactrics, a psychologist and a nutritionalist. Once you are cleared by all of them you will get to see the surgeon. Once you see the surgeon if you are cleared you will be put on the list for surgery.

You may have to go to some classes but they are usually at Point West in Sacramento. The only class I had to attend down there was a pre-op class after surgery was scheduled.

Patience is the necessary ingredient here but the surgery was pretty uneventful.

Contact me if you have questions. Congratulations on starting your journey and don't let the doctor tell you no if you fit the criteria.

Vicki

I was re-reading that and I want to make sure you know you don't have to loose all the weight before your other appts. They will schedule all but the surgery while you are loosing your weight. They will weigh you at orientation and at all other appts to see how you are doing.

Vicki

Thank you Vicki J...your information is EXTREMELY helpful..its good to "know" someone local who has gone through the process. Your knowledge is great...thank you!!

I had my appt with my PCP, list in hand ready for a fight and know what? I only had to mention that I want to have LB done and she sent a referral on the spopt!! She asked questions about my family history and my personal health but she did it right away.....I WAS SHOCKED!!!

My biggest motivator is that my Mom passed away on May 25, 2008 at the age of 54..yes she was only 54. She was diabetic, had heart problems and had had several strokes that lead to her death. Her Mom, my grandmother, was 67 when she passed away also from diabetes and breast cancer. I DO NOT WANT TO BE THE NEXT VICTIM! I also have terrible lower back pain and another big motivator for me is/was soooo embarrasing...I was getting on a roller coaster with my best-friend (a guy) and I couldnt get the latch to snap in so I had to get off!!

Im excited that this seems to be working but I know I have a long road ahead of me but I am motivated and determined to get it done and do it!!

~MissLynn23

I had the same thing happen. I didn't even have to use my backup. I'm glad that things are started for you. Yeah, it will be a long process but it's totally worth it.

If you ever need to schedule an appointment (i.e. change one), make sure you call every now and then to check for cancellations. One of my appointments was cancelled because the pyschologist was on jury duty. They wanted to schedule me about 2.5 months out. That was on a Friday. I called the next Monday and they found a cancellation the next Friday. They will not call anyone to try and fill those cancellations. When they finally schedule you for surgery they will ask you if you want to be put on the cancellation list. They will call and fill those so that their surgeons stay busy.

Good luck and keep me posted on how you're doing.

Vicki

When you make up your mind to do this that is all it takes. When you can see a goal you want to acheive nothing can stop you.

Hello,

I am too late to help you with your appt but I wanted to share my experience with you. I sought out the Lap Band before I saw my PCP. I went to two different seminars, the first guy was a jerk whom I later found out was not complying with my ins. company. The second doctor is much closer to home and is a Lap Band patient himself. His seminar was pretty good. I joined this website and read it every single day, sometimes more than once a day. I bought the book "Lap-Band For Life" and read it.

So when I went in to see my PCP I expected a fight with him. He started off by saying although my cholesterol level was very good the standards had changed and he wanted to increase my dose of Lipitor. I said I have something better, how about Lap Band surgery? I showed him my seminar stuff and my book and said even though my BMI is 37.2 I am 15 pounds away from the morbidly obese line. I was SHOCKED when my doctor said YES!!! I about fell over from the shock! I told him that I had not yet had my consultation with my surgeon but that I had called the office and they suggested I get started on an Upper GI and gall bladder exam. I already know that my ins. company demands a sleep study as well. I know that because the bozo I went to first wouldn't send me on one.

I saw my doctor on Monday morning. By Wednesday morning I had my gall bladder ultrasound in his office, had my sleep study, a scheduled my Upper GI. Next Wed. morning I have the Upper GI done and Thursday night I have my sleep study. I am a bit nervous about staying the night in a doctor's office but it should be fine. The rooms are very cozy and comfy looking. One thing I forgot to mention is that the surgeon's office asked if my PCP could send a referral letter to them. I think once the surgeon starts receiving faxes with my test results they will see that I am motivated and hopefully a good candidate and they will call sooner rather than later for my first consultation. His seminars are very full, standing room only, so I have to be patient and wait my turn.

I don't have the BMI of 40 that would automatically qualify me for surgery but I have GERD, my constant companion, I have degenerative disk disease in my spine along with the arthritis that likes to go with it, arthritis in my right hip, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and possibly a hiatal hernia and sleep apnea. I can't wait to be banded and get on with my life, slimmer and healthier!

Lisa

Hi MissLynn23,

I am also from Roseville and just received my orientation appt at the South San Francisco Kaiser on August 5, 2008. I too expected a negative result from my PCP but was pleasantly suprised when he said that it was a reasonable request. It is not just being over-weight that the band helps overcome its all the other problems it helps alliviate that I hope will benefit me the most. I also won't have to answer "Why is your belly so fat" to my 4 yr. old granddaughter again. Good luck on your journey.

Edited July 15, 200818 yr by Papahemi